Rogue's Baby
by Hope Hannigan
Summary: When Rogue is abducted by Sinister, about three years after the end of X-Men: Evolution, her world is turned upside down. Her fate is decided for her, will she struggle against it or find unknown resources in herself to face it?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Rogue tried to keep her hair out of the way as she threw up. The toilet was stinking with her stomach previous content. When she woke up less than a minute before, she barely had the time to open her eyes before bile rose in her throat. Her breathing labored, her stomach quietened, she sat with her back pressed against her containment cell's wall.

With her nail, she dug a line next to the others she made each day since her arrival. Sixty. She'd been imprisoned for the last sixty days. She'd been experienced on and tortured for sixty days. Two months.

She sighed. The X-Men probably thought her dead. She remembered a fight. She remembered getting hit. She had gashes and bruises all over her body when she came to.

And now, whatever they did to her made her sick in the stomach first thing in the morning. She remained motionless as the nurse came into her cell. She was a mutant going by the name Vertigo. She was a Marauder. Rogue knew, thanks to Gambit's memories she had absorbed in the bayou, some about Sinister and his Marauders. His psyche had been comforting and strengthening through the ordeal.

Vertigo helped her on her feet. "Happy birthday, Rogue," said Sinister's helper.

"Birthday?" Rogue's weak voice squeaked. According to her calculations it was July 5th, as she had spent two full months there.

"Indeed. Today is the first of August." She made Rogue sit down. "And as a birthday present," she chuckled darkly. "I can tell you that Sinister's procedure was a success. You are pregnant."

Everything went black as Rogue fainted.

AN: I think the AN in the end is more friendly, isn't it? Unless there are warnings, I will keep them at the end as much as possible. The idea came to me... well, the origin of this idea is mixed. Those of you familiar with X-Men: The End know that SPOILER Gambit is the clone of Sinister with a twist of Summers dna END OF SPOILER. Knowing that, and the fact that Rogue has the potential to tap into any ability she once absorbed (See Xtreme X-men) my mind pondered the following: what if Sinister focused on Rogue instead of Jean Grey, and used Gambit's genetic material instead of Cyclops to create the ROMY version of Nate Grey? Once this idea formed, my fingers went into a frenzy and typed the prologue you have up there, word for word.

I shall post three different fics in different verses. This one, Rogue's Baby, is set in X-Men: Evolution. Reaper is set in Wolverine and the X-Men and Family is set after X-Men First Class.

Enjoy! I do love reviews, give me your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 01

Chapter One

She slowly opened her eyes. Was it a dream? Vertigo could torture her with the news out of cruelty. She focused on her mutation. If she could absorb life force, she may be able to sense it. In the three years after Apocalypse, she had mastered control of her abilities, including calling forward the mutations she had imprinted in the past. It started to attract attention when she used different powers during battles with little to no contact.

Sinister couldn't resist temptation and, in a climatic battle between his cruelest Marauders and the X-Men, he snatched her. She had no idea if her teammates were alright. She hoped so. She could endure anything if they were fine.

She abandoned her research. She didn't find anything. The door opened and Sinister entered. She tightened her jaw and sat up. She watched his devious grin with worry and fear. After two, no, three months, fear of that monster was well ingrained. She recoiled when he tried to touch her cheek.

"Dear, we're family now. You're carrying my grandchild. And who could be a better mother for my heir than you? Your genetics, combined with those of my son, will create a powerful mutant that I will control. I will raise it to be the one who will lead the worthiest."

She tried to wrap her mind around the news. Sinister had a son? And this son's offspring was growing inside her? She felt raped.

"Your son?" her hoarse voice said.

"My son," Sinister nodded. "You see, Apocalypse granted me a long and fulfilling life. I was a baseline human and studied genetics. Apocalypse evolved me. In exchange I was to serve him and find Horsemen for him. I did but as you, my dear, defeated him, he had no use of them anymore. Back to my son. Even though I had longevity and healing factor, my body still aged. I started to clone myself as to survive the two centuries between my evolution and Apocalypse's rise to power. Someday, I decided to tamper with my origin genetic material to create a clone who would already be a mutant. I mixed my DNA with some of the father of Scott Summers."

"Scott? How... Why..."

"See, his great great grandfather used to be a test subject of mine. Therefore I followed his family line. I had detected mutation tendencies. The X-gene, if you like. I, hum, borrowed samples of his DNA. Mixing Summers and my DNA, I created a level five mutant. The baby was magnificent, so full of potential. Though, one night, the infant was stolen. I thought I would never see him again. Irony has it, he came to me when his power reached their full extent. He asked me to reduce his power level to one he could manage."

The last part of the story sounded awfully familiar to Rogue, though he couldn't connect the memories in her weakened, bemused state.

"So I did. Little does he know that I also took from him what I needed to impregnate you with his child. He also ignores he's my 'son'. Now dear, let's move you to a more pleasant room. My grandson needs the best."

Rogue felt used in the worst possible way. From powerful mutant, she just got downgraded to womb. She felt a wave of weakness wash through her, followed with the sensation she was absorbing someone. She had closed her eyes during her dizzy spell. She reopened them to find Sinister sprawled on the ground, unconscious. Using the information she had somehow siphoned from him, she made her way to the holding cells and freed the mutants he held captive. There weren't many. Surrounded with grateful mutants, they helped her to escape the secret lab. Strangely she found no memories pertaining to the identity of Sinister's son.

She would try and find him. He probably deserved to know the truth.

Four days later, at the X-Mansion

"Logan," called Kitty through her communicator. "I see activity in secret safe-way three. Could you go have a look?"

"Half-pint, you sure it's not some wandering animal like last time?"

"If it's an animal, it's human size and walks on its back paws. I'm pretty sure it's human. Can't get a clear picture, though. It seems that there is more than one person too."

With a grunt Kitty took as an agreement, Logan turned off his communicator.

He stealthily made his way through the darkened gallery. He was about to knock out the shadow when: "Good to see you too, Logan."

He stopped in his track. That voice. It couldn't be. She was... Gone. The X-Men had mourned her the last three months. She had been injured to the point of no recovery and her body was never found in the rumble. No matter how long he tried to stay to dig her up. Then human police showed and they had to go. The scene played out in his mind. He sniffed. It could be Mystique... No. It was her scent, tainted with chemicals and hormones.

Hormones.

He fell on his knees. Not many people could brag about getting the Wolverine down on his knees. "Ro... Rogue?" he said with disbelief, his hand outstretched towards her belly.

She strode toward him and helped him up. She tried to smile but a bitterness tainted it. "The one and only. Come on, you ol' softie. Let's get inside."

Without a word, they walked toward the secret entrance. The mutants Rogue brought with her followed. Some of them had been ready to defend her when Wolverine had sneaked upon them but they all relaxed when she called him a softie. He soon recovered enough to glare at the new recruits. "I hope none of them is the dad, or there will be shish-kabob for breakfast."

Rogue stiffened, then snickered. "I couldn't tell you who the dad is if I wanted to, Logan. It's Sinister's doing. My only clue is that the sperm belonged to his son."

Snikt.

"Relax. I think I killed Sinister. I need Hank to examine me. I've had dizzy spells. Whenever I come to, someone's been drained. He was unconscious when we took the lab to the ground. If he isn't dead... Then I'll be safe nowhere. He will find me and take me. I don't want to bring trouble to the X-Men but..." she stopped to swallow a sob. "I'm pregnant, I'm scared, I drain people uncontrollably... I didn't know where else to go."

Wolverine nodded, at loss of words. "It's good to have you back, stripes. We all missed you. We thought you dead."

She smiled through her tears. "You know me, I'm too damn stubborn to die!"

"Just like me, kid. Just like me."

They reached the door. Wolverine pushed it open. Kitty was on the other side, waiting for whatever, ready for everything. Except. "Rogue!" she squealed. "Rogue! It's like, impossible! The building collapsed on you! We thought you dead! I was, like, crying for weeks! I need a hug!"

Kitty had always respected the fact that, despite her control, Rogue wasn't much of a hugger. She opened her arms to welcome the valley girl though. With another squeal of delight high enough to make Wolverine, Wolfsbane and anyone with sensitive hearing within a mile wince, she launched herself at her roommate and best friend.

Both girls shed happy tears. Wolverine stepped in and caught Rogue when another dizzy spell much like she had described hit her. As soon as he caught her she started to absorb him. He fought against the drain to remain conscious. In her state, she shouldn't fall and risk her baby's safety. He had seen how she stroked her belly while talking about it. She loved the pup already. Maternal instinct kicked in.

He saw Kitty wobble on her feet. One of Rogue's follower caught her and steadied her. She smiled at him and gasped when she saw Piotr. Colossus. One of Magneto's lackey. She phased through his hand and stood away from him. She tried to ignore the pained look on his face. Rogue opened her eyes. She worriedly looked at everyone around her. "Damn. Again. It's getting closer each day. And I'm only about a month along."

"Let's take you to the medbay."

She frowned. She wanted Hank to check her vitals but she hated all and every lab, hospital and medical facilities, courtesy of Sinister. She let Logan lead her, the dozen of mutant staying behind with Kitty.

"Kit?" she called. The valley girl turned toward her friend. "I wouldn't be here now without them all. Could you take them to the dormitories? They're all friends. I've absorbed enough of them all the last four days to know that much."

"Fine. I'll come down and see you when my night shift of surveillance is over."

Rogue smiled. "I'd love that, Kit. See ya."

The dormitories were two huge common rooms, containing beds and basic furniture. One for girls and one for boys. She divided the group by gender and showed each their dormitory. Most were happy to see no bars and a bathroom with separate showers. No one to ogle them while undressing and cleaning had a great appeal. Kitty wondered what were the odds that Rogue's group contained six girls and six boys. Though, she amended, some like Colossus could be called men or women.

"I am Kitty, or Shadowcat as some of you may know. I would like to thank you all for bringing Rogue to us. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. This is a school, therefore we expect you to behave accordingly. Now you know where your sleeping facilities are... I could show you the kitchen?"

A global murmur of agreement settled the matter. She led the group to the huge kitchen made to accommodate large groups of people.

She sat at the head of the table while the new recruits helped themselves. Soon they were all seated and eating. Kitty recognized some of them, like Colossus or the Scarlet Witch. Most, though, were unknown. "Like, Wanda," Kitty started. "How did you all end up with Rogue?"

"Sinister captured us all. Some of us spent months in his hands. Let me introduce them. The green haired girl here," she showed the girl sitting next to her. "Is my half-sister Lorna. Also known as Polaris. Same powers as our father. The blonde girl is Illyana Rasputin, aka Magick. She has teleportation and magic powers. Sally Blevins, or Skids, has a deflection field. Attacks skid on it. Theresa Cassidy, or Siryn, inherited her father's sonic scream. Her dad is Banshee. Vanessa Carlysle, codename Copycat, has shape-shifting and power-copying abilities, different from Rogue but I don't know all the technicalities. The guys... Well, you know Piotr. Illyana is his sister. Julio Richter, or Rictor, generates vibrations. A bit like Lance. Cypher, well Douglas Ramsey, can decipher any language. And really it's any language. Russel Collins, or Rusty, has pyrokinetic abilities. He cannot control them like Pyro, though. James and John Proudstar, Warpath and Thunderbird, have strength, speed, durability, keen senses, you name it. This is our merry little group."

Kitty nodded. "Thank you, Wanda. Now who is over 18?" Piotr, Wanda, John and Vanessa raised their hands. "The four of you have graduated?" They nodded in response. "If you stay here, people who didn't graduate yet will enroll for the next school year. The ones who did... We'll see. We're short on teaching staff and we need hands to help us keep this boat floating. Anyway, this is a discussion for another day."

As soon as they finished eating, she led them back to the dormitories. She walked to the control room, checking on her way that all students were asleep and well. Satisfied, she resumed her place to watch the screens and monitor the hallway activity. She poured herself a coffee. Just one hour and she would be relieved of her duties. Just one hour and she would see Rogue.

She hadn't seen her in months, even mourned her death and now she knew the girl was alive and well, she has the urge to rush to her side.

A bit over an hour later, she phased through Bobby's door. He was late. Actually, he was still asleep. She pushed him off his bed and phased when he shot ice cubes in every direction. "What the...?" he exclaimed.

"You're, like, ten minutes late and, like, Rogue is back. I want to see her! Now get to the control room!" she dropped the hand-held monitoring device on his stunned body and marched out.

"Wait, what?"

She ignored him. He would better start his shift now. She had a friend to see. Walking out of the elevator, she sauntered toward the medbay, her anger forgotten. She spotted the blue furred mutant who was in charge of all things medical. "Hank! How is she?"

Hank jumped. Her ability to phase made her as quiet and discreet as a mouse. He smiled at her. "She's fine, I believe. I'm worried about those dizzy spell though. Logan said she drained both of you without any skin contact."

"She did. Is it a new evolution of her mutation? Did Sinister tamper with her powers?"

"I believe it's related to her pregnancy," said Hank evenly.

"Huh, come again?" said a puzzled Kitty.

"She's pregnant. A baby is growing is her womb. Six weeks. In less than eight months, there will be a baby Rogue within these walls."

He wasn't sure which part he didn't understand and as a teacher, he was used to phrase the same thing differently for his students.

Kitty almost fell on her butt. Hank grabbed her arm and led her to a seat. "Are you alright, Katherine?"

"Fine. You said... Pregnant? How?"

"I believe it is Sinister's doing. He took an ova from her, impregnated it in vitro, and implanted it back in Rogue's womb. I would provide you with more details but..."

"It's not necessary, thanks. Is it, you know, Sinister's...?" she let her voice trail off, unable to link the words Sinister and Baby in the same sentence.

Hank shook his head. "Sinister explained to Rogue what he did. The baby is... Sinister's grandchild, or so you could say."

"Sinister has a son?"

"A genetically altered clone. It's indeed fascinating. If Rogue and her friends hadn't destroyed his lab..."

"I wouldn't let anyone get his hands on Sinister's research. No matter how good that person is. Not even you, Hank."

Both turned to the owner of the voice. "I understand, Anna."

She smiled at the blue, furry mutant. "Hank, I know you fancy calling people by their birth name, but I don't fancy hearing the name Mystique gave me. Now, I need to find the father of my baby. Sinister said that he ignores his origins... I also need to talk with Scott and Alex... Whoever is the father... He's also their half brother. Sinister mixed his DNA with their dad's."

Kitty scrunched up her nose. "Ew! That's like, so weird!"

Rogue gave her a wolfish grin that would make Logan proud. "Imagine Scott's face when I will tell him he's gonna be the uncle of Sinister's grandchild!"

Kitty stared at Rogue with her mouth agape then burst into laughter.

"Are you done with your examination, Hank?" Rogue asked. "I'd like to spend some time with my best friend before the cat is out of the bag."

"Of course, An... Rogue. Go ahead. I would advise you to eat something. You haven't had a decent meal in days. It's not healthy for the baby."

Rogue smiled at him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank ya."

The girls linked their arms and walked toward the elevator, to get to the kitchen. Rogue eyed the mess the new recruits left. "Thank ya, Kit. You took good care of them."

"It's normal, Rogue. It's what us heroes do."

"What us heroes do, when enemies come knocking, is put them in a containment cell the time a mind-reader scans them. I appreciate you didn't do that. I've grown close to Wanda and Piotr the four days it took us to arrive here. Piotr is a real sweetheart, by the way. Magneto was holding Illyana captive. He left the Acolytes as soon as she teleported out of Mags custody."

"She 'ports like Kurt?"

"No. She creates some kind of portals. No brimstone. She uses another dimension. It's called Limbo. She can send people there. She also has a soul sword." Rogue fixed herself a plate and started digging in the food. She moaned when she swallowed the first bite. "It's so good to eat. Hmm."

Wolverine entered the kitchen, in his uniform, the hood pulled back on his neck. He stopped when he saw the girls bonding while Rogue was eating. "Half-Pint, Stripes, you two are still up? What are you doing out of the medbay?" he pointed at Rogue.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pregnant, not sick. I can sleep later."

Wolverine grunted. He would never admit it but he was relieved she was talking back to him with her usual wit. He eyed critically the white uniform she had on, the one Sinister made all of them wear, that was now more black than white, caked with mud at some places. "You can shower too."

She grimaced. "Yeah, that too. Anyway, why are you up at this ungodly hour?"

"It's almost five am. Time to torture the kids," he said with a grin.

"Aren't most of them home for holidays?"

"Some stayed behind. Can't let them slack off."

Rogue shook her head as he departed. "I feels like I was gone longer than three months, but not much changed."

Kitty giggled. "Indeed. Now why don't you tell me what you're itching to tell me?"

"Can't fool ya, can I?" She said with a smile. She pushed a flash drive towards Kitty. "I've managed to secure this... Sinister's database. Most of it is meaningless babbling to me. I need you to try and find out who Sinister's 'son' is. I need to know who is my baby's dad. I trust you with this because you are my best friend, and this will be destroyed as soon as I find out who he is. I will not let any other scientist play god with this information. My life is... changed. I don't want it to happen to anyone else."

Kitty knew that Rogue wanted to say ruined. Though, for her baby's sake, she was making herself love it, desire it. Rogue read Kitty's look as well as Kitty read hers. Both fell in companionable silence as Kitty fingered the flash drive and Rogue finished her plate.

Without a word, they got up and went to Kitty and Rogue shared room. Rogue went to the ensuite shower and change while Kitty sat at her computer to try and crack Sinister's code. She was a computer genius, something most forgot, taken by her valley girl persona. Her IQ was Einsteinesque, her grades were as high as they could get and she was remotely majoring in Science and Computer while staying at the mansion and teaching the teens.

"I thought it was only two months," Rogue said as she exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. "When they told me I was pregnant... They also told me it was my birthday. I was abducted in the beginning of May, so it was almost three months. One month of my life is missing because I was gazed, drugged, whatever. He could've put me in a stasis chamber, I wouldn't know about it."

Rogue pulled her clothes on her dry body, happy to feel the familiar fabric, to smell the familiar scents. She sat close to Kitty.

"Did you have time to..." she tentatively asked, motioning to the computer.

"I cracked the first encryption code, yes. So you have more information about the person who..."

"Sinister said he came to get his powers under control. He is level five. He got some brain surgery done. Even Sinister's memory about it seemed... Gone. Or locked away. Somewhere even I couldn't access."

Kitty bit her lower lip as she went through the files. "If he was that intent to hide who his son is... It may be that I don't find anything in his archives."

"I know... Just... I'm thankful for your help."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Rogue didn't feel like sharing more of her haunting experience. Kitty almost gave up when she opened a document and met more encryption. She bounced excitedly on her chair. "Does 'heir' ring any bell to you?"

"Sinister called my baby his heir. Why is that?"

"There is a file I cannot open. It has this name. The encryption code is harder. It may take me some time to crack it open."

They smiled at each other. "Some time? How long...?"

"Days. Maybe weeks. I have to design a software that will automatically try and identify the code, verify it's not further coded, check for viruses..."

"Okay, okay!" said Rogue, rising her hands in surrender. "You're the genius."

Kitty looked at Rogue's side of the room. "All your things are still there. I refused when they wanted to move them. Also... Kurt might have announced your death to Mystique... You could... Contact her. She was quite distraught. Kurt and her spent some time bonding."

"Right now, Kit, I'm going to lie down and sleep some. I guess there is more risk I'll drain someone if I'm tired."

Kit changed into her pink pj's. "Yeah. And we can't have you draining us all, can we?" she said flippantly.

Rogue chuckled. "Indeed we can't."

AN. There you go, the first chapter of Rogue's Baby. It's longer than my usual chapter length. Over 3500 words.

Disclaimer: I can't believe I didn't do it when I posted the prologue. Oh well. Consider this disclaimed. Everything copyrighted/recognizable belongs to their rightful owner. I make no profit – and don't intend to – and I pay Marvel for Comics stories, not the other way around. It's all for kicks and giggles.


	3. Chapter 02

Chapter Two

Rogue moaned when she felt a hand shaking her. She didn't want to wake up. She opened an eye to see Kitty beaming at her. "Come on, sleepyhead! It's almost noon! You slept seven hours!"

"Coffee..." she groaned in her pillow.

Kitty tugged at her. She was annoying, for a grown up twenty-something. "Come on, now, you know you can't have any!"

Rogue reluctantly sat up. "Says who?"

"Says your doctor! Coffee is not good for baby-Roguey."

She quickly changed out of her pjs and followed hyper Kitty to the dining hall. She heavily sat on a chair, not awake enough to acknowledge anyone. Kitty poured her some orange juice and put the glass in her hand. She mechanically drank. She eyed her dinner plate. She felt the nausea rise and, now wide awake, rushed to the closest bathroom. Her almost empty stomach heaved but nothing but liquid came out.

Kitty arrived in the bathroom. "Oh Rogue, I'm so sorry! I didn't know..."

"It's fine, Kit. Even I didn't think about morning sickness when you woke me up. I usually am sick just as I open my eyes. I'm fine now."

She rinsed her mouth and walked out of the bathroom, Kitty following her. She gave the X-Men a tiny smile. "Sorry about that..." she said as she took her seat.

{Professor?} she projected her thoughts toward Charles Xavier.

{Yes, Rogue?}

{How much does everyone knows?}

{Hank, Kitty, Logan and I are the only one knowing what happened... What keeps happening. Your companions are truly devoted to you. None uttered a word.}

{Good. Could you call a meeting this afternoon so we can discuss it with everyone? I mean, the X-Men and the new recruits.}

{Off course, Rogue. I can sense most of us are curious.}

{I know... Trust me I know.}

While having this telepathic conversation, she started to eat slowly. Her stomach didn't protest anymore. She kept quiet, waiting for the professor to announce the meeting.

He called everyone's attention at the end of the meal, when no one had the time to leave yet. "I need the X-Men and the new recruits to gather with me for a meeting in thirty minutes. It will take place... In the war room."

At the appointed time, all active X-Men and the new recruits were gathered. Rogue stood in front of them. "As you know, I returned last night. Sinister staged my almost death, three months ago, so he could abduct me without the X-Men coming for me. He was... Impressed by the control I displayed on abilities that weren't mine, even without contact. He decided... To experiment on me... And to make me the mother of his heir... I am pregnant."

She interrupted her tale when some of her teammate stifled surprised cries.

"My baby is not Sinister's... Not directly. He revealed details to me. Secrets. He told me that he survived centuries transferring his mind from clone to clone. However this process, somehow, depended on Apocalypse. He decided to create a child that would be half his and half... Summers. He used Christopher Summers' DNA and coupled it with his own. The child was stolen from him. He thought it lost forever but the child, reaching Level Five, couldn't control his powers. He went to Sinister himself to decrease his power level so he could manage it. Sinister took advantage of the helplessness and ignorance of his... Son... To steal from him fluids. He used my ova and his son's sperm to create a heir he could control. This is what Sinister told me. After his little speech, I had a dizzy spell. When I opened my eyes, Sinister was unconscious and I had part of his memories and abilities. I freed the mutants he held captive and together we tore the place to shreds. The only marauder present was Vertigo and she remained in the building with her master when it collapsed. It took us four days to reach the institute. During those four days, I learned to like all of my companions here. They were all wronged by Sinister, tortured, experienced on. They would like to stay with us, even a short while."

Cyclops, stunned, raised his eyes - or his visor - to hers. He finally found his words, having missed most of Rogue's speech after she spoke about Christopher Summers' DNA. "My dad's DNA..."

Rogue smiled at him. "Congratulations, Scott, you're about to become a uncle..."

Kurt came closer and hugged his sister. "Uncle Kurt! I'll be uncle Kurt!" He knelt and spoke to Rogue's stomach. "Hello, baby. I'm uncle Kurt. I will show you all kind of tricks. I'll be the silly uncle while the fearless leader over there will be the serious uncle.

"You didn't tell who Sinister's son is," said Cyclops, probably wondering who this half-brother could be.

"Because I have no idea who is my baby's father. He didn't tell and his psyche's memories are incomplete. Or blocked."

"Maybe I could help with that," proposed the professor.

"I should announce it to Alex..." started Cyclops, still obviously shocked.

The professor asked him to wait so the new recruits could officially introduce themselves to the X-Men.

"I am Illyana Raspoutin. I also go by Magik. I have teleportation powers and I can use magic, spells. My magic allowed me to create a soulsword. You already know my big brother, Piotr, AKA Colossus. He turns into organic metal."

"I am the Scarlet Witch, or Wanda Maximoff. I have a twin, Pietro, still with the brotherhood. I manipulate probabilities and alter reality. Lorna Dane, codename Polaris, has the same abilities than our father. Only she's much sweeter. She is no fighter but... I would like her to graduate High School."

Lorna smiled at everyone. She sat back with her sister.

"Vanessa Carlysle, call me Copycat. I'm not interested in joining the X-Men, I just wanted to make sure that Rogue made it back here alright. I am a mercenary, my line of work isn't nice. I'm no do-gooder. I'll get going soon."

She went back to her seat, crossed her arms and smiled at Wolverine. Cypher stood and looked at the X-Men.

"My name is Doug Ramsey. They call me Cypher because I can decipher any language. Oral, writing, body language, computer language, codes... You name it, I understand it. Huh... That's all."

Kitty turned her eyes to Rogue with an arched eyebrow. Rogue called forth her telepathic abilities. {I do not trust him with this knowledge. He's a bit young and malleable. Who knows what such knowledge could do to him?}

Kitty nodded. She was flattered by her friend's trust. In the meantime Doug had taken a seat and another was standing.

"I am Theresa Cassidy, Sean's daughter. I like to use Siryn as an alias. I have inherited my dad's powerful sonic scream. I can fly, paralyze an opponent, and some other things." she shut up. She wouldn't tell them how she could seduce them to do her bidding when she modulated her voice. She wasn't using this ability anymore.

Rictor took her place. "Hi, I'm Rictor. My parents named me Julio Richter. I shake things. I can make anything vibrate and even create earthquakes."

"Rusty," said the boy closest to Rictor. "Russel Collins. I create fires. I cannot really control them."

"Sally Blevins," said the last girl. "I have a deflection field around me. Attacks just skid on it. That's why I chose the nickname Skids."

The last two boys were the Proudstar brothers. John stood up.

"My brother's name is James and I am John. Proudstar. We have strength, keen senses, durability... We are Warpath and Thunderbird."

"Thank you," said Charles. "The X-Men are Cyclops, Jean, Shadowcat, Wolverine, Iceman, Storm, Beast, Nightcrawler, Cannonball, Magma, Jubilee, Wolfsbane, Multiple, Sunspot, Berzerker, Angel, Forge and Rogue."

Each nodded or waved at the newcomers as their names were called.

"Now I believe rooms were prepared for those of you who intend to stay. You shall share with a roommate. Shadowcat and Jean will show the girls, and Nightcrawler and Iceman will show the boys. You have until school starts to decide whether you enroll."

Thankful murmurs echoed through the room and people started to leave until Charles, Vanessa and Rogue were the only ones remaining. "I'll miss you," said Rogue to her new friend. "Keep in touch, will ya?"

"I will. No worries, Roguey."

"Now, miss Carlysle, I need your assurance that this school's secret are safe. Would you mind if I... took a look in your mind?"

"Go ahead. I wouldn't do anything to endanger Roguey and the little shrimp."

Charles closed his eyes a minute. With a relieved sigh, he opened them a minute later. "Thank you, Vanessa. I will let you ladies say your goodbyes."

A few minutes later, Vanessa was off campus. Rogue walked towards the professor's study. "I need your help, professor. I cannot make Sinister's psyche talk to me. Maybe together we can unlock his memories pertaining to my baby's father."

"Maybe you could wait and see if Kitty succeeds."

She chuckled. She should have known that he was aware of the flash drive.

"I wouldn't trust anyone but Kitty with this knowledge. She has more ethics than anyone else here. She will find the information and destroy any harmful evidence."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Another thing, Rogue. You're off X-Men duty during your pregnancy. We can't risk both of your safety. Furthermore I think that your... condition might awaken greed and curiosity among the wrong people."

"But, professor... I'm still capable to fight! I'm not sick!"

"Hank and Logan advised me of your dizzy spell. You could have one during a battle and possibly drain your friends, endangering them."

She was conscious that Charles was guilting her into agreeing. She softly sighed and nodded. "Fine," she said. "But I'm still in charge of my classes and I'm still on Danger Room sessions."

"Unless Hank medically advises differently, yes. Rogue..." he hesitated. "I am a psychologist. If you ever feel the need to talk about what happened... You can always come to me. Or I could recommend you feminine colleagues..."

She smiled at him. "I'm..."

He shook his head. "You can drop the facade, Anna. You have nothing to prove to me. You don't need to reassure me. I know how unwell you are. Please, for your sake, get some help. I have a close friend of mine, open-minded about mutants, who specialized into women who found themselves pregnant after a rape. This is not unlike your situation."

"Ah... I'll think about it. Thanks."

Struggling to keep her face impassive, she ran to her room. To hear someone voice what she had thought... the thoughts she had fought so hard to keep at bay... It was too much for her. She laid face first in her bed, bawling.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her back. She turned her head and found Kitty sitting by her side. She sobbed and hugged her friend. Kitty, surprised that Rogue initiated contact, hugged her back. Once her sobs subsided, she let go of Kitty.

"Sorry," she started.

"It's okay. You went through a lot. May I ask... What triggered this?"

"Professor wants me to see a shrink. He says... He says it's like I'd been raped and found myself pregnant... But... I don't want my baby to be a 'rape-child'."

"I think you should see that shrink. Maybe it could help. Five days ago, you found out you are pregnant. Five days ago, you escaped and possibly killed the mad scientist who did this to you. You cannot be fine, smiling and skipping in a flower field yet. You will need time to heal. You will need to talk about your experience. I am your friend, I will always be there to listen to you. You can lean on my shoulder and cry all you need. But I'm not a professional. I have no previous experience. I wouldn't help as much as a shrink would."

Rogue nodded. Kitty was talking good sense into her. "I'll see that shrink. Thank you, Kit!"

"What are best friends for?"

They had had a hard time getting along when they first were forced to be roommates. The pink, hyper valley girl and the dark, moody Goth Southern Belle. Once they saw past their differences, they were inseparable. Their time as Bayville Sirens was the start of their friendship. Four years later, it only strengthened.

Rogue freshened herself in the bathroom and walked back to the Professor's office. "I'll do it," she announced. "I'll see your friend. And talk to her. I need it. You were right."

Charles simply nodded and she went to the rec room. During school year it would be rather empty but as it was Summer Break students and staff alike were mingling, playing pool or any of the many games in the room. She walked toward the television. All couches were full. She lowered herself and sat cross-legged on the rug to watch TV. Hellion, one of the senior students, started to raise from his seat. "Rogue! Have my seat!"

She shot him a look. "Why would I take your seat?"

"huh..." he stammered. "Because I'm a gentleman?"

She smiled at him. "If you are a gentleman, you need to be sure about it. Not question it."

He felt the blush creep on his face. He liked his girlfriend. A lot. But Rogue was older, smart, skilled in mechanics, smoking hot and a Southern Belle. Most guys were more or less infatuated with her. She was like a dream to them. A dream with a temper.

"Keep your seat, Hellion. I don't need it."

He slowly sat back. It was the news. "... We have no information about what happened in this empty warehouse. Police said no body was found inside. The reason why the building collapsed is still unknown..."

She turned her head when she heard a hearty laugh and found Rictor standing behind the couch. "I shook it till it collapsed like a castle made of play cards!"

She shook her head at Rictor's antics when he started to do a happy dance in front of everyone gathered in the rec room. She was worried that the news anchor claimed they didn't find at least one body. It could mean two things, SHIELD and their operatives had concealed any evidence from the local police and news crews or her archenemy was out there plotting.

She preferred the former.

AN: Phew. Still no clue on the daddy. Yeah. On a side note, most of Rogue's experience with her pregnancy comes from my own. I have a daughter, you know. So, nausea, mood swings and everything else comes from my own experience. For those who never had kids, pregnancy can be quite hectic.

I just noticed that my auto-correct option changed news crews to new screws. Facepalm.

Oh well, next chapter next week! See ya!

Thanks goes to all reviewers, favoriters, alerters, readers. I feel so loved. Cookies to everyone.


	4. Chapter 03

Chapter Three

She wiped her gel-covered belly. She would need a long, refreshing shower. She hated that stuff.

"Rogue," said Beast tentatively. She arched an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly. "I have... A device... That was offered to us by the Shi'ar. It is supposed to give more information about the baby than the human technology can. Would you like me to use it on you?"

"What kind of information would it give?"

"Accurate date of birth, some physical features, special abilities..."

"Special abilities... Like mutations?"

Hank nodded. "As seen in young Lorna and some other mutants of second generation, abilities can be inherited."

"It could help to identify his father..."

After three months back at the Mansion and four months of pregnancy, she was starting to show. Hank had just confirmed her gut feeling. She was expecting a son.

"Thank ya, Hank. But I don't like this alien technology. I may have another way to find his daddy. This will be my last resort."

Hank respected her wishes. She pulled her blouse over her now clean stretching skin. She walked to her room. It was a warm October Saturday. The kids were out enjoying the last sun rays.

The Professor had moved her out of Kitty's room. She had now two rooms communicating through a bathroom. She was slowly, when she had time, decorating the baby's room. She painted the walls a soft beige. She painted teddy bears and plush animals all over the room. A crib and other furniture were there, but needed to be assembled. Kurt and Scott, as the baby's uncles, had promised to do it for her and forbid her to carry anything heavy. She lingered in her baby's room before shutting the bathroom door and stripping off her clothes for a shower. She couldn't stand the icky feeling of the gel any longer than necessary. She reveled in the warm water for a while.

Three months, she thought as she dried herself with a soft towel, and no trace of Sinister or any of his goons. Dared she hope? Kitty had advised her that she was close to a breakthrough with Sinister's files. Therapy also did her some good. The lady that the Professor recommended was so much nicer and comforting than Rogue had expected.

She put her underwear on and walked to her closet. She put on a nice, short-sleeved summer dress and leggings. She pulled the waistband under the bump forming. She had experienced that waistbands crossing her swollen belly were somewhat uncomfortable after a while.

She made her way to the kitchen for a mid-afternoon snack. Cravings were difficult to satisfy. She felt those any time of the day and the night. At that moment, she needed a sandwich with meat. She put it together and ate it with delight. As she was chewing her last mouthful, Kitty arrived in the kitchen with a scowl on her face. Rogue had never seen her so somber and... Wolverine-y. Kitty huffed and sat next to her friend.

"What's going on, Kit?"

"I decoded the files. Finally. Sinister was a paranoid sicko. He doesn't mention the name of his clone of a son anywhere. He called him 'patient Gamma'. I mean, who codes his patient after the Greek alphabet?"

"Maybe it's the first letter of his name?"

Kitty looked up at Rogue with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh my GOSH!" she squeaked. "Of course! He did name you 'patient Rota' in his files!"

"Well, we have a lead. A mutant whose name start with G."

She eyed Kitty as she kept bouncing excitedly on her chair.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Rogue! It could be! It could be! Gambit!"

Rogue stared blankly at her for a while, trying to process Kitty's words. "No way,"  
>She stated confidently. "I have both Sinister and him up there. I would know if..."<p>

"He did disappear during the Apocalypse events. What if his powers went haywire and somehow, like, ended in Sinister's claws?"

An idea hit her like a bag of bricks. "Imagine Scott and Gambit... Half-brothers?"

Kitty laughed. "Scott would, like, totally have a stroke. Oh! Red eyes! Scott shots red beams through his eyes. Gambit has red on black eyes and he makes energy go out of his body to explode everything hit by it. Alex and Scott both shoot energy out of their bodies and things tend to explode then."

"It weirdly fits. I'd never have thought to compare the swamp rat with our fearless leader."

Both girls discussed possibilities. Rogue ended up telling about Hank's machine. "Go for it," she said. The Shi'ar tech helped us to upgrade the Danger Room. Many things here are operated with this technology. Being a computer wiz I can tell you it's harmless."

"Would you come with me?"

Kitty assured her that she would. They linked their arms and went outside to get under the sun rays.

~~~~~

A couple of days later, they met in the medbay with Hank. He set different devices on her belly, all linked to a main machine. The machine had a screen that showed the results.

"The baby will be born on... March 15th. His weight and height will be in the norms. Let's see his X-Gene. Hum. He will have your powers. Ah. Now we have a clue. My dear Anna. Your child will have red on black eyes."

Rogue, though she had tried to prepare herself for similar news, blinked a few times. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely positive. Chances were faint that such a mutation manifests in a child but... I see also that the red on black eyes will appear when his X-Gene activates. Until he's 15, he will have green eyes. Yours, I believe."

He removed the devices and helped her straighten up. Kitty was back to bouncing. No wonder she's so thin, though Rogue, with all the energy she's burning.

"Don't be so excited, Kit. No one has seen the Swamp Rat since Apocalypse. I need to track him down now."

"And you know where to start?"

"Mini-Remy up here has ideas," she stated while pointing to her forehead. "I need to see with the Professor if I can take a leave of absence."

"You'll go alone?"

"Kit, I'm pregnant, not terminally sick. I can still take care of myself."

Knowing how Rogue was sensitive on the subject and how she hated to be treated like she was made of glass, she nodded in agreement.

~~~~~

The next Saturday, she was in New Orleans. She stared at the Mansion that was the Thief Guild headquarters. She waited for someone to spot her.

Remy's dad, Jean-Luc, approached the gate casually. "Bonjour. You are one of my son's friend, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Good morning. I am here to see him. Any idea where I can find him?"

"Don't you know? You found us. You could know where he is already."

"A good thief never reveals his secrets," she said with Gambit's accent, her voice eerily close to his. "And I ignore where he is or I would already be there."

"Jean-Luc! Don' make the chil' wait outside!" scolded a dark skinned matron from the mansion's doorstep.

He frowned at her. He respected Mattie's opinions. Everyone with half a brain knew she was aware of things nobody should know. He beckoned Rogue to follow him. As she entered she heard the matron's voice bellow: "Remy! Get y' ass down here!"

As she followed Mattie and Jean-Luc, she heard steps behind her. His voice reminded her of their escapade three years before. "Mattie, who is..." he stopped when she turned and he took in who she was. "Chere? What are you doing here?"

"I've got things to tell you, Gambit. About your origins, mainly."

Mattie caught her arm. "Come with me, chil'. This is no conversation to have on an empty stomach. I'm sure you would love some crawfish."

Rogue's face lit up with enthusiasm. Whoever that lady was, she knew the way to Rogue's heart. She sat at the kitchen's island on a stool. Mattie dropped a plate in front of her. Rogue removed her coat. Her belly had been hidden under it and now her position hid it rather well. She didn't want Gambit to panic.

"Thank you, ma'am," she said.

Mattie tsked her. "Tante Mattie, chil'. You're part of the family."

Both men exchanged glances at Mattie's words and shrugged. They let Rogue eat in a companionable silence, knowing that Mattie and the young woman would speak up really soon.

Rogue ate the last of the crawfish and sighed contentedly. "Thank you, ma... Huh, Tante. It was delicious."

The silence settled again as Rogue started to turn her glass into her hands, pondering where to start. "Well, chere, why do you show up here now?"

"You know Sinister?"

Remy swallowed his saliva and curtly nodded. He didn't like to think about the man.

"He told me a story. The scary part is that it's all true. About twenty-five years ago, Sinister, because he was a mad scientist, decided to mix his DNA with the DNA of Cyclops' dad. The experience ran smoothly and, a few months later, he had a 'son', alive and well, part Summers, part Essex. Everything was dandy for Sinister until the day the baby was... Stolen." She sent a pointed look at Jean-Luc, who showed some signs of recognition behind his poker face, and took a sip of water.

"The baby was raised out of his reach and his influence. Fate, irony or coincidence, a few years ago, said baby showed on Sinister's doorstep because he failed to control his level five mutant powers. He reduced the power of the mutant and extracted material so he could start again the 'baby to raise to take over the world' process."

"You're saying I'm Sinister's... Creation?" Gambit asked, too stunned to hide behind his poker face.

"I'm sorry, Remy."

He started to pace. Trying to process what he just learned. Mattie made him sit, her hands on his shoulders. "Don't be rude, mon garçon. Listen to the Chil'. Go on with your story, ma fille."

"That's what Sinister told me..."

"Why did he tell you?"

"Six months ago I was abducted by him. He experimented on me. I have control over my mutation. Over all mutations I have ever imprinted. He thought me a suitable mother for his grandchild. He impregnated me with your child, Remy."

With those words, she stood up. Her swollen stomach attracted the eyes of both men and Mattie shook her head, though a faint smile graced her benevolent face.

"I've been looking for the man Sinister described for the last three months. I had no idea it was you until we found some intel. Sinister named you 'Patient Gamma' in his files and me 'Patient Rota'. Kitty figured he used the mutant nickname's first letter in its Greek form. Hank has some alien tech that allowed him to tell that when the X-gene of my son activates, it will trigger a secondary mutation. He will have red on black eyes."

Gambit was glad he was seated. "You... You sure, chere? It's mine?"

"Not a hundred percent sure. We will need to make DNA tests. I'm not asking you to be a father for my son. I just... I feel the need to know... And it's fair that you know what Sinister did."

Jean-Luc had been awfully silent during Rogue's story. Mattie looked at him. "I will tell him, Jean-Luc," she warned. She took both Gambit and Rogue's hands. "Mes enfants, I sent the guild steal the infant from Sinister's custody. I knew he would crush any trace of good in the boy to mold him. Instead, we took him in and raised him like one of ours. It was the chil' with demon's eyes. Le diable blanc. You, mon garçon. I can already confirm that the child is yours. The test will confirm it."

Gambit stood, removed his hand from Mattie's grasp and exited by the back door without a word. Rogue started to stand up but was stopped by Mattie. "He will come around, chil'. He needs to do some thinking."

Rogue eyes warily Jean-Luc who is intently looking at her. "You're the fille who helped him... Almost four years ago."

"I am. Did you keep him here all this time? He didn't come back to Bayville." she instinctively touched the pocket where she hid her most precious possession. It gave her comfort when she was down or stressed. In her pocket is the well worn lucky lady, the Queen he gave her during that hot bayou night.

Mattie pushed a tall glass filled with home-made lemonade and icecubes. Rogue thankfully accepted it and handed Mattie her empty glass.

AN: Another chapter of Rogue's Baby is done. The father is revealed. I know some of you were expecting it eagerly.

Next chapter next weekend! Thanks to all reviewers, this story is the most beloved of the three I'm currently working on. That's awesome in so many ways!

Cookies for everyone.


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